


Happy Birthday, Kiyi!

by TheBonobo



Series: Azula becomes Best Older Sister/Mom [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Childhood Trauma, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mentioned Ozai (Avatar), One Shot, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Protective Azula (Avatar), Ursa (Avatar) Being A Terrible Parent, Ursa is a bad parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:47:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28808328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBonobo/pseuds/TheBonobo
Summary: Modern AU. If someone told her she'd give up everything for her younger half-sister, she'd laugh. Except, that's not the case. Azula would sacrifice anything for Kiyi, and she was okay with it.
Relationships: Azula & Kiyi (Avatar)
Series: Azula becomes Best Older Sister/Mom [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2191503
Comments: 10
Kudos: 75





	Happy Birthday, Kiyi!

_‘Azula always lies.’_

_‘Azula always lies.’_

“Azula always lies.”

Azula wakes up to find her head being poked at by a little girl. Groaning, she sits up and stares at the little girl.

It was her younger half-sister, Kiyi. The girl had her father’s brown-coloured eyes and her brown-coloured shoulder-length hair. Her skin was a combination between her parents, a light-coloured tan, unlike her creamy pale skin. Aside from that, she had her mother’s exact facial features. Eye shape, nose, face structure - that’s where the resemblance really lay between the two girls. 

The girls were still different from each other.

“Kiyi… I’m tired,” mumbled Azula, rubbing her eyes lazily.

Today was special for the young child. Kiyi had Azula promise to wake up early to make her birthday breakfast, but Azula slept in. Kiyi was definitely ready to leave and dressed the part up. She was sporting her own classic navy blue trench coat with a black crew neck sweater tucked in her blue jeans. Her belt and black boots flattered her entire outfit. She really wanted her birthday to be special and dressed the part.

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to make delivery breakfast. It already sucked that you did it last night for dinner,” muttered Kiyi. “Besides, aren’t you a chef? You’re supposed to be able to pull shit out of your ass on the fly anyways.”

Azula grimaced at Kiyi’s choice of words. At nine years old, it was no wonder her teachers would reprimand the young girl for her “disruptive” language. Considering how Azula was her guardian, it was natural for the child to pick her older sister’s antics. Her sharp mouth was evidence, seeing as she had thrown a single-handled shot at her sister for her career choice.

Being a chef hadn’t been Ozai’s masterplan for Azula. Neither was her dropping out of Columbia’s Business Administration, forfeiting her claim to Ozai’s fortune, and moving to Canada. Not to mention the sole guardianship of her nine-year-old sister. Yet, here she was, doing all of that.

“Kiyi, I cook well enough to have a job… but that doesn’t mean I have the effort to cook all the time,” Azula finished with a yawn towards the end.

Kiyi rolled her eyes as she tried dragging her sister out of bed. So much for a good morning.

"Could you at least pull a sweater on? It's cold and you still have to drop me off at the bus," Kiyi requested, throwing a sweater at Azula. Azula groaned, but she managed to get out of bed and quickly put on her sweater. Grabbing a pair of slippers, she held Kiyi's hand and rushed out the door. Running a good block, they just arrived at the school bus stop for the vehicle to pull up. Kiyi went inside the bus and waved at Azula when she sat inside the bus. Azula kept waving her hand at the bus until the bus drove away from her sight.

Cursing at herself and realizing the time, Azula ran back to their cozy place to get ready. Azula and Kiyi lived in a two-bedroom modern basement suite under a bungalow home in Scarborough. Scarborough was in the eastern part of the city of Toronto, known for its vibrant diversity and green space. The neighbourhood they lived in was a distinctly quaint family neighbourhood. Rows of bungalows aligned close to each other, yet just enough for families to enjoy their private space. Perfect for kids to grow up and hopefully befriend the neighbourhood children to play with. Azula wanted for Kiyi to experience that since she never had that experience.

"Now, where the fuck is everything?" Azula angrily asked, while rummaging and pulling clothes out of her closet. Today, she was donning a classic khaki Burberry trench coat with a white wool turtleneck and tight black jeans under it. She was also wearing classy over-the leg brown leathered boots and a thick-chained Sterling silver necklace to accentuate the outfit. But her real beauty lay on her face - her clothes only complimented it. Azula had sharp facial features, with full lips and long lashes accompanied by her mesmerizing golden eyes. Her hair was tied in a high bun, framing her face perfectly. Azula wanted to compliment Kiyi's choice of clothes with her own, taking a classier approach to it. After all, it was the girl's birthday and Azula wanted to look the part.

~

Azula typically wasn’t late for anything.

“Who the hell closed last night?” all she asked was competent closers after she’d pull twelve-hour shifts nearly every day of the week. Every time she’d walk in, something was done wrong. The fryers weren’t clean. Someone forgot to turn off the stoves. No one stocked up on the remaining items made by HER that day.

Azula would open the restaurant all by herself and keep working until the dinner service. No one was willing to do openings. No one had the consistency and efficiency in running the entire team for dinner service. 

Not that Azula didn’t enjoy her job - it was her responsibility as the sous chef of a high-end corporate place. She really enjoyed leading a group of people under stress and chaos, executing perfection for each dish in a timed manner. Azula also had no problem telling stuck-up line cooks that their passion was a health hazard for customers.

She liked dominating obstacles to deliver customer satisfaction. It seemed like it would be a simple goal, except it had to reach **HER** standards. Perfection was an understatement in describing Azula - she was a dictator and raveled under that fact.

_‘Almost isn’t good enough.’_

If she had to be honest with herself, she acknowledged her greediness was her ultimate downfall. Or was it her pride that served as her real hubris? After much reflection, since moving to Canada, Azula will admit all her interactions with people was a **HER** problem. Yes, Azula projected her issues onto those supposedly close to her, and it all backfired. Rather than surround herself in a burning fire, she chose to humiliate herself by running away. Had she been frank with those around her and reach a compromise, she might not be here. Azula needed to come half-way with people to get somewhere.

But not today. It was Kiyi’s birthday, and Azula absolutely refused to let anyone else ruin it. She didn’t tell Kiyi that she booked half the day off a week in advance. If her team would make her stay for dinner service, they could sod off. Azula was going to pick up her sister after school, and no one would stop her.

~

Kiyi blinked. 

How was this actually possible?

Right at the final dismissal bell, Azula was standing right in front of her. In the office, she was sent to after beating a student up.

Not without reason.

“I choose to skip a full shift to celebrate your birthday, only for you to get in trouble?” Azula sarcastically asked.

Kiyi looked down on the floor. This wasn’t possible. Usually, Azula would work late into the night and pick Kiyi up from their landlord. However, Kiyi could surmise that Azula put a lot of effort into planning today. Azula barely sent Kiyi to the bus on time for today, so it’s fair to assume she was late for work.

 _‘This is embarrassing,’_ Kiyi thought, feeling her face go red. Ever since she started living with her big sister, she slowly picked up her inconsiderate nature. Except, right now… Kiyi felt terrible at a time like this. She never wanted to inconvenience her sister after everything she had done for her.

Azula rolled her eyes. She can feel Kiyi self-wallowing in guilt. That had to wait at the moment. She extended her arm forward at Kiyi.

“Get out of your seat and get ready. We have somewhere to go.”

~

Kiyi ran around the circular plaza. She couldn’t believe Azula bought tickets for them to visit the CN Tower. Toronto wasn’t like New York City at all, but that’s where its charm lies. The height the tower held was impressive, over-seeing the Toronto skyline. Toronto was clearly a world-class city in its own right. Even though they’ve only been in the city for a few months, Kiyi fell in love with the city. Despite the busyness that occurred, the people were overall friendly and respectful. Maybe except that ONE kid, but it was dismissible. Kiyi stood on the glass floor above the city with Lake Ontario's view across from her. Empowered, no one was going to ruin this city for her.

Kiyi jumped up and down, not letting her focus divert from the floor underneath. Although the glass was built to be unbreakable, Kiyi couldn’t help but feel the adrenaline. With the ground's view so significantly far away, it was scary imagining her death fall.

“You’re such a child,” Azula muttered behind her. Kiyi turned around and smiled. Of course, Kiyi was never going to fall to her death when Azula is there to pick her up.

Secretly, Azula thought Kiyi’s childishness was adorable. Neither of them honestly had a good childhood, but Kiyi’s was clearly better than hers. It showed in Kiyi’s overall kind and sweet nature. Unlike Azula, Kiyi held a genuinely warm smile and had her heart worn on her sleeve. Perhaps it was because Kiyi had their mother around as her guardian.

 _‘No… that’s bullshit.'_ Fundamentally, their mother was shit to both of them. Kiyi just happened to witness moments of her kindness than Azula. In truth, the only one who really had a guardian who cared… was Zuko. When Azula found the truth in Kiyi’s upbringing, she made a vow to protect Kiyi. No one was going to hurt Kiyi the way they’ve hurt her.

Azula cupped Kiyi’s face and frowned. Kiyi got punched in the nose by some kid. It wasn’t severe enough to go to the hospital, but it bothered Azula that there was a bandage across her nose.

It bothered Azula that someone hurt her sister.

“You never told me what happened to you,” she stated. Kiyi blushed and looked away from Azula. She shook her head, refusing to reveal anything.

Azula bent down and put her hands on Kiyi’s shoulders. Surprised, she turned her head back, facing Azula. With Azula’s golden eyes staring at her brown eyes at the same eye-level, Kiyi had no choice but to answer. Azula barely showed outward concern for others, so she was really on a whim trying to reach out.

“Kiyi… this isn’t like you at all. You aren’t the type to attack anyone, so what made you do it,” she finally asked.

Kiyi sighed, practicing the breathing exercises Azula taught her.

 _“Breathe in a square when you feel like it’s hard to handle anything,”_ her words echoed.

Finally, Kiyi opened her eyes, staring at Azula. 

“This kid said that my mom doesn’t love me. That’s why she won’t celebrate my birthday,” Kiyi confessed.

Azula blinked. That was it? Some kid poking immaturely? Sadly, Azula had to remind herself that Kiyi wasn’t her.

“Kiyi… mom isn’t the most stab-”

“Azula, every kid at school thinks you’re **MY** mom,” Kiyi interrupted.

Azula stared at her Kiyi dumbfoundedly. How could anyone confuse her with **THAT** monster? They may look alike, but she was **NOTHING** like Ursa. Azula was a tyranny growing up, but she **NEVER** hurt Kiyi like Ursa. Ursa was the real monster.

“The only one who actually takes care of me is you. The rare times you showed up at my school, kids saw you and thought you were my mom,” Kiyi continued. “They keep teasing me about having a mom that’s barely there. They also said I only had a mom, and that’s weird.”

Azula noticed tears coming out of her eyes. The kids were clearly getting to Kiyi.

“That didn’t really bother me because my real mom isn’t the best,” Kiyi answered. She then paused for a silent moment, waiting to build the courage, to tell the truth. “That kid said no one could ever love me when no one ever loved you. That’s why you’re alone.”

Azula paused. Kiyi was upset over her?

“It’s a lie, and it made me angry. ‘Zula, I care for you a lot because I love you.”

That was the truth. Azula wasn’t perfect, but she was to Kiyi. Her sister no longer dressed up every day like she did when they lived in New York City. Despite that, Azula was still pretty. Put merely, Azula was her perfect gorgeous older sister.

Azula grimaced, tightening her grip on Kiyi’s shoulder.

How dare those kids to hurt Kiyi like that. She may not have asked for Kiyi to be her sister, but she was. It had come to a shock that she discovered that she even had a sister roughly a year ago, but she wouldn’t trade it for the world. This little girl in front of her actually fought for her. They may not be full-siblings, but Azula was proud of her to be her baby sister. 

Kiyi was about to cry, so Azula held her close. She never physically confronted anyone like this, but Kiyi was the exception. 

Out of the three of them, Kiyi looked the most different. That wasn’t to say there was no resemblance. Azula could see why they thought she was Kiyi’s mother. Azua was Ursa’s carbon copy before letting her drug addiction and demons consume her. Kiyi was a cute kid, sharing a couple of traits as her sister, there wasn't a doubt that the child would blossom into a fiercely beautiful lady.

“Kiyi… you mean a lot to me. More than I put on. That’s why everything I’ve done has to lead up to this day. Happy Birthday.”

Azula then kissed Kiyi’s forehead. She then continued hugging Kiyi until she calmed down. Kiyi was a more sentimental child than she was at her age, but Azula didn’t mind. In a way, Azula lived through Kiyi’s innocence, something she never had as a child. Azula wanted to protect Kiyi as best she could.

~

“For fuck’s sake, why didn’t I bring a sweater with me?” Azula complained, standing outside their place. After they visited the CN Tower, they went home. 

It was 11:53 pm on a chilly November night. Kiyi had recently fallen asleep, and Azula took it as an opportunity to go out for a smoke. After visiting the famous tourist attraction, Kiyi wanted to go home and spend the remainder of the day with Azula. As promised, Azula would actually make food at home, so she whipped up an authentic Neapolitan pizza. Kiyi helped mainly by tasting everything and chastising her sister. If there was someone pickier with taste than Azula, it would sadly belong to the child. When it was all done, the two enjoyed watching “The Avengers” on Netflix in their cozy living room. All snuggled up on their brown-leathered couch and enjoying their pizza, it was a perfect way for Kiyi to end her night. After the film finished and they cleaned up, Kiyi begged to sleep in Azula’s bed with her.

When she was certain Kiyi was asleep, Azula snuck outside for a smoke. Rubbing her arms with her hands, she was really regretting not bringing a sweater. She was only sporting a tank top and pajama pants, quite underdressed for the weather.

Looking at her exposed left arm, Azula began reminiscing. On her left shoulder all the way to the beginning of her forearm, Azula had an ancient Chinese dragon tattoo. It was a custom passed down through the heir-apparent in her father’s family. The tattoo represented the family's power and strength - worthy of being worn by the leader. Since Zuko was a disappointment in their father’s eyes, Azula had been promoted to take over their father. Clearly, that wasn’t happening.

With what has happened in the past year, it was a surprise to see Azula walk out on their family. Considering how much Ozai groomed Azula to take over, she was set up for an utterly luxurious, comfortable life. It was customary for Azula to undermine and degrade people to get what she wanted.

 _‘Azula always lies,’_ was Zuko’s moniker describing the girl, and it wasn’t a lie.

That’s all in the past. Azula snapped and abandoned all she had known with the events that happened. She renounced her claim to the family fortune, took whatever she had, and ran away, including Kiyi.

Perhaps the most challenging sacrifice was giving up nearly everything she had to gain sole guardianship over Kiyi. A definite surprise for her - it should have been Zuko. _Compassionate and responsible_ Zuko should have been the clear choice for Kiyi.

Except, he wasn’t. Denying and defending what their mother had done irritated Azula. Their mother was perfect in his eyes that the abuse she inflicted on Kiyi wasn’t "possible". As a former victim of parental abuse, she felt conflicted watching Kiyi being disciplined. No child deserved to be touched like that, especially by a parent. Having Zuko accuse Azula of telling the truth was the last straw.

_‘Over her dead body.’_

When she had been granted accidental temporary guardianship over the girl, she was initially pissed off. Azula and kids was a foreign concept. However, over time, Azula began opening up to Kiyi. Things happened, and Azula had been forced to re-evaluate what truly mattered.

Kiyi was Azula’s world; that’s why she had trouble controlling herself when Kiyi told the truth. If she still held the political power she once had, she’d smite those kids and their parents. Pull some strings to get their parents fired and leading to homelessness. Let them feel her wrath. No one was allowed to hurt her little sister if she could help it.

Except, she no longer had that power. Azula gave it up to ensure Kiyi’s safety. Besides, that influence was toxic, destroying their family for generations. In the end, it was best that neither of them would be associated with it.

Stepping on her cigarette, Azula was done smoking. She looked up and noticed a shadow coming forward. Smirking, Azula recognized the person approaching her. Perhaps her past was coming back to her.

Maybe it was okay in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a one-shot! I've decided to write this concept I've had in my head where Azula is misunderstood and a good sister. Zuko and Ursa aren't the best family members, and Ozai is clearly trash. This one-shot is meant as the beginning of a series if it hopefully goes well.  
> At least comment for some wholesome Azula and Kiyi :) I hope you guys enjoy this!
> 
> NOW - Looking for beta readers. If you're interested, message me on Discord at Bonobo.#1705


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